© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Catholic Store Murder Suspect Identified In Another Assault

The man accused of killing a woman and sexually assaulting two others inside a suburban St. Louis religious supply store is also a suspect in an assault in a rural area.

Jefferson County sheriff's officials say a 77-year-old woman reported the assault in September, but investigators had little to go on until the woman spotted Thomas Bruce's picture in the media.

Bruce also lives in rural Jefferson County. He's charged with first-degree murder and several other felonies for the Nov. 19 attack at the Catholic Supply store near Ballwin.

Prosecutors allege Bruce tried to force three women in the store to perform sexual acts on him. He's accused of killing a married mother of three when she refused.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.